The present invention relates generally to power driving mechanisms, and more particularly to apparatus utilizing a vibratory member for driving a ripping tool into earth, rock, or other earthen material.
Apparatus is known in which a ripping tool is driven by a vibratory member. For example, Bodine U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,082 discloses a rock ripping tooth that is integral with the lower end of a straight resonant beam. Cobb et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,770,322 and 4,003,603 describe a ripping tool that is mounted for reciprocal motion; a source of oscillatory force is coupled by a non-resonant force transmitting rod to a hammer that periodically strikes the tool. Shatto U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,683 discloses a pivotally mounted ripping tool that is driven by a hammer located above the earth's surface. The hammer is attached to the lower end of a straight resonant beam to which a source of vibrations is coupled. The requirement that the support for the force transmitting beams be above ground and the ripping tool be below ground makes difficult the design of apparatus for efficiently driving the ripping tool, because of the restraints on the component location and space occupancy.